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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY;' 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director 



Water-supply Paper 350 



PROFILE SURVEYS 



IN 



BEAR RIVER BASIN, IDAHO 



PREPAEED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

R. B. MARSHALL, Chief Geogeaphee 




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Vt^ASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIOB 
1914 



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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2011 with funding from 
The Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/profilesurveysin06mars 



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

UNITED STATES (JEOLOCJICAL SURVEY 

GEORGK OTIS SMITH, niKECTOR 



Water- Supply Paper 350 



PROFILE SURVEYS 

IN 

BEAR RIVER BASIN, IDAHO 

aril II' " 

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 

E. B. MARSHALL, Chief Geographer 



• I- 




AVASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
1914 






JAN 30 J9I5 






CONTENTS. 



Page. 

General features of Bear River basin 5 

Gaging stations 6 

Publications 7 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Plate I. A-F. Plan and profile of Bear River from Riverdale to Novena, 

Idaho At end of volume. 



49398°— wsp 350—14 



PROFILE SURVEYS IN BEAR RIVER BASIN, IDAHO. 



Prepared under the direction of H. B. Marshall, Chief Geographer. 



GENERAL. FEATURES OF BEAR RIVER BASIN. 

Bear River rises on the northern slope of the Uinta Mountains, in 
the northeastern part of Utah, and after a circuitous course — in 
which it leaves Utah and enters Wyoming, Utah, and Wyoming in 
turn and makes a long detour in Idaho — it returns to Utah and finally 
discharges its waters into Great Salt Lake. The maximum elevation 
of the upper rim of the basin is 13,000 feet above sea level. 

The upper part of the basin comprises a rough, broken country, 
well drained by numerous short streams, most of which are confmed 
to steep, narrow canyons. The streams are fed by many small springs 
and by the melting of the snow which forms the greater part of the 
precipitation. The rocks of the extreme headwater region are chiefly 
sandstones and quartzites and are covered with a thin layer of soil 
that supports scattered groves of fir and aspen. A few small lakes 
he near the head of the river. 

Just below Dingle the main stream passes through the north end 
of Bear Lake Valley in a well-defuied channel, and from this point to 
Preston it occupies a steep-walled canyon, broken here and there by 
short, narrow valleys containing irrigated farms. The tributaries in 
this stretch are few, the largest being Mnk and Cottonwood creeks. 
About 10 miles below Dingle the river receives the outlet of Bear 
Lake, a small, crooked, sluggish stream that discharges but little 
water at any time, though it is the only visible outlet of a water body 
about 144 square miles in area. There is no storage on the main 
stream, but on Mink Creek a number of small storage reservoirs are 
contemplated or in process of construction, the water to be diverted 
for the irrigation of lands in the northwest end of Cache Valley. 

Between Preston and the lower end of Cache Valley the Bear 
flows sluggishly along the west side of its basin in a well-defiiied 
channel, and during extreme floods it overflows slightly and covers 
a very narrow strip immediately along the river. The principal 
tributaries in tliis stretch are Cub Creek and Logan River. 

Cub Creek rises in the Bear River Range and flows through a 
steep, narrow canyon in a rough limestone country until it reaches 

5 



6 PEOFILE SURVEYS IN BEAR EIVEE BASIN^ IDAHO. 

Cache Valley, which it crosses in a winding but well-defined channel 
to its junction with the Bear. 

Logan River rises on the west slope of the Bear River Range, flows 
southwest and then northwest, and unites with the Bear near Benson, 
Utah. Its basin is rough and rugged, elevations ranging from 4,500 
to 9,000 feet above sea level, and the river is confiiied largely to a 
steep, rough channel in a comparatively narrow canyon. Probably 
three-fourths of the precipitation in this basin is snow, the melting of 
which supplies the principal part of the spring and summer flow ; the 
late summer and winter flow is derived chiefly from springs, which are 
well distributed over the basin. In its upper course the Logan 
receives many short, swift tributaries. Temple Fork and South 
Fork, which enter, respectively, 10 miles and 15 miles above Logan, 
are perennial streams and furnish one-third to one-fourth of the total 
flow. Blacksmith Fork comes in below Logan. The entire flow of 
this river, after being used to develop power at two electric plants 
near the mouth of the canyon, is diverted for irrigation. None of the 
run-ofl" is stored at present. 

Practically the only inflow to the Bear in Cache Valley is from 
seepage and springs. The lower portions of the valley form an 
artesian basin containing numerous small flowing wells. The water 
table lies very near the surface, and during the early part of the 
spring the lower lands are largely swamps. 

The Bear River Canal Co. diverts practically the entire summer 
flow of the stream above Collinston to agricultural lands lying on both 
sides of the river below Bear River Canyon. This system has a 
capacity of 1,000 second-feet, and during the winter and flood seasons 
a part of the water is used to develop electric power at a point about 
a quarter of a mile above the Collinston station and is returned to the 
river at Collinston. From 10 to 30 second-feet reaches the stream 
through leaks and as seepage from the diversion canals. 

Owing to the complete control of the stream by irrigation works, 
the discharge is liable to extreme variation at any period. 

GAGING STATIONS. 

The Survey has maintained on Bear River and tributaries above 
the mouth of Logan River the gagmg stations shown by the following 
list. The stations are arranged in downstream order. All stations 
on the main stream from source to mouth are presented first; stations 
on the tributaries, in regular order from source to mouth, follow. 
Relations of tributaries are indicated by indention. A dash following 
a date mdicates that the station was being maintauied June 30, 1913. 
A period after a date indicates discontinuance. 

Bear River at Dingle, Idaho, 1903- 

Bear (Mud) Lake Inlet canal near Dingle, Idaho, 1911- 

Bear River at Alexander, Idaho, 1911- 

Bear River near Preston, Idaho, 1889- 



rUBLlCA'J'IONS. 7 

Bear River near Cullinston, Utah, 1889- 
Bear Eiver at Fishhaven, Idaho, 1904-1906. 

Cub Creek near Franklin, Idaho, 1900-1901. 

Georgetown Creek near Georgetown, Idaho, 1911- 

West Side canal near Collinston, Utah, 1912. 

Ilammoud ditch near CollinsU)n, Utah, 1912. 

PUBLICATIONS. 

Information concerning stream flow at the stations listed in the 
preceding table has been published by the Survey in the following 
reports : 

Annual R,eports: Eleventh, pt. 2; twelfth, pt. 2; thirteenth, pt. 3; fourteenth, pt. 2; 

sixteenth, pt. 2; eighteenth, pt.4; nineteenth, pt. 4; twentieth, pt. 4; twenty-first, 

pt. 4; twenty-second, pt. 4. 
Bulletins: 131, 140. 
Water-Supply Papers: 11, 16, 28, 38, 51, 66, 75, 85, 100, 133, 176, 212, 250. 270, 290, 

310, 330, 360.1 

Water-suppl}^ papers and other publications of the United States 
Geological Survey containing data in regard to the water resources 
of the United States may be obtained or consulted as indicated 
below. 

1. Copies may be obtained free of charge by appl3^ing to the 
Director of the Geological Survey, Washington, D. C, but the edition 
printed for free distribution is small and is soon exhausted. 

2. Copies may be purchased at nominal cost from the Superin- 
tendent of Documents, Government Printing OfTice, Washmgton, 
D. C, who will on application furnish lists giving prices. 

3. Sets of the reports may be consulted in the libraries of the prin- 
cipal cities in the United States. 

4. Complete sets are available for consultation in the local offices 
of the water-resources branch of the Geological Survey, as follows: 

Albany, N. Y., Room 18, Federal Building. 

Atlanta, Ga., Post Office Building. 

St. Paul, Minn., Old Capitol Building. 

Helena, Mont., Montana National Bank Building. 

Denver, Colo., 302 Chamber of Commerce Building. 

Salt Lake City, Utah, Federal Building. 

Boise, Idaho, 615 Idaho Building. 

Portland, Oreg., 416 Couch Building. 

Tacoma, Wash., Federal Building. 

San Francisco, Cal., 328 Customhouse. 

Los Angeles, Cal., Federal Building. 

Santa Fe., N. Mex., Capitol Building. 

Honolulu, Hawaii, Kapiolani Building. 

A list of the Geological Survey's publications will be sent on appli- 
cation to the Director of the United States Geological Survey, 
Washington, D. C. 

1 In preparation. 

o 



PLAN AND PROFILE d'F 

BEAR RIVER 

RIVERDALE TO NOVENE. iBaHO 



WATER.SUPPLy PAPER iSO PLATE 




R B. Ma'shail, Chiei Geograph. 
T" G Geidine, Geographer in c 
Topogiaphy by AlbeM Pike 
Sufweyed in 1913 



Contour interval on land 25 feet 
Contour interval on river surface 5 feet 

Datum u mmn sm l^vel 
1914 



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C5^1»^??H---„, 



PLAN AND PROFILE OF 

BEAR RIVER 

RIVERDALE TO NOVENE. IDAHO 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER i'.O PLATE 1 e 




R B, Ma.shall. fJhief Geosiaphe. 
T. G, Geidine, Geographer in chaise 
r»poe'aphy by Albeit Pike 
Surveyed in 1913 



Contour interval on land 2S feet 
Contour interval on river surface 5 feet 

Daiuvt ia mean swi leml 
1914 



ilB 



PLAN AND PROFILE OF 

BEAR RIVER 

RIVERDALETO NOVENE IDAHO 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 3S0 PLATE I C 




R. B. Marshall. Chief Geographi 
T. b. Gerdine, Geographer in 
Topoeraphy by Albert Pike 
Surveyed in 1913 



4 



PLAN AND PROFILE OF 

BEAR RIVER 

RIVERDALE TO NOVENg, IDAHO 



WATER-SUPPLY P4PER 350 PLATE I D 




R B. Marshall, Chief Geogiapher 
T G Gefdine. Geogiapher m chaige 
Topography by Albert Pike 
Surveyed in 1913 



Vertical scale 1 inch = 20 feet 

Datum is m«jn sea lewi 
1914 



41 



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5 



PLAN AND PROFILE OF 
BEAR RIVER 

RIVERDALE TO NOVENE. IDAHO 



WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 350 PLATE i J 




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R, B. Marshall, Chief Geographer 
T. G. Qerdine, Geographer in charge 
Topography by Albert Pike 
Surveyed in 1913 



Scale 517^0 



Vertical scale 1 inch = 
Datum iamtan tea U 
1914 



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PLAN AND PROFILE OF 

BEAR RIVER 

RIVERDALE TO NOVENE. IDAHO 



TER-SUPPLV PAPER 350 PLATE I F 





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T. G, Gefdire, Geographer in charge 
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Surveyed in 1913 



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